High-speed switching systems have been available in various forms in the prior art. Such systems have been used to input several digital signals, for example, then based on user commands or configurations, the given input signals are switched to given outputs, thus creating different digital output signals. Such digital switching systems require a control system to regulate the timing of switching and to regulate which outputs are connected to which inputs.
High-speed analog switching systems have also been produced in the prior art. Such analog switching systems are often used to connect video input signals to the appropriate analog output, thus producing a new video output signal. Such an analog switching system also requires a control system, similar to the digital high-speed switching systems mentioned above. In the case of analog switching systems, the controller must not only regulate which analog inputs are connected to which analog outputs, but also regulate timing and synchronization of the analog signals. It is particularly important to regulate the synchronization of two different video signals which are to be switched to a single output, one video input signal following the other. Without such synchronization, a video monitor which is connected to the video output of the switching system will momentarily exhibit a glitch pattern or noise during the interval between the end of the first video input signal, and the beginning of the time period wherein the second video signal's synchronization pulses are properly handled by the video monitor.
In the prior art, digital switching systems and analog switching systems were always kept separate. In other words, a digital switching system was on a separate rack from any associated analog switching system, which itself was on its own separate rack. Not only were the digital and analog switching systems on separate racks, but each of them also had its own separate control system. The use of one single control system to control both analog switching systems and digital switching systems has not been achieved in the prior art.